After earning his GED® in 2011, Torres was encouraged by his Aspire instructor to continue his formal education. Following a family illness that forced him to temporarily move back to Mexico, he returned to Cleveland and enrolled in Tri-C’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

He used his newfound English skills to begin taking college classes at Tri-C, which ultimately led to his acceptance into the Mandel Scholars Academy, paving the way for future success in school and in life.